The Science of Nature最新文献

{"title":"Risk of migration: not all gregarious locust nymphs reach appropriate refuges","authors":"Koutaro Ould Maeno,&nbsp;Ahmed Salem Benahi,&nbsp;Mohamed El Hacen Jaavar","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01914-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01914-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sedentary animals choose appropriate refuges against predators, while migratory ones may not necessarily do so. In ectotherms, refuge selection is critical during low temperatures, because they cannot actively evade predators. To understand how migratory ectotherms alter their defensive behaviors depending on refuge quality in cold temperatures, we evaluated migratory gregarious desert locust nymphs (<i>Schistocerca gregaria</i>) in the Sahara Desert, where daily thermal constraints occur. We recorded how roosting plant type (bush/shrub) and its height influenced two alternative defense behaviors (dropping/stationary) during cold mornings, in response to an approaching simulated ground predator. Most locusts in bushes dropped within the bush and hid irrespective of their height, whereas those roosting &gt; 2 m height in shrubs remained stationary. These defenses are effective and match with refuge plant types because dynamic locomotion is not required. When nymphs roosted on shrubs &lt; 1.5-m height, which was an unsafe position, nearly half showed both defensive behaviors, indicating that escaping decisions become ambiguous when the refuges are inappropriate. These results suggest that locusts display flexible defensive behaviors when finding appropriate refuges and selecting refuge before daily thermal limitations occur could be critical for migratory ectotherms, which is a risk associated with migration.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140835558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Blind measurements did not confirm effects of forest fragmentation on fluctuating asymmetry of a tropical butterfly Morpho helenor","authors":"Mikhail V. Kozlov","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01913-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01913-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Re-evaluation of photographs of the tropical butterfly Morpho helenor from a previous study (Pignataro et al. 2023) revealed that its conclusion regarding increased wing fluctuating asymmetry in forest edge habitats compared to forest interior habitats could not be replicated. This discrepancy likely arises from (i) original measurements not being conducted blindly, (ii) insufficient photograph quality hindering accurate landmark selection, and (iii) a lack of detailed description of the measurement protocol. The likelihood of false positive discoveries within the published data concerning the impacts of environmental stress on the fluctuating asymmetry of plants and animals is probably higher than previously assumed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00114-024-01913-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140671368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fields of flowers with few strikes: how oligolectic bees manage their foraging behavior on Calibrachoa elegans (Solanaceae)","authors":"Ana Luísa Cordeiro Vieira,&nbsp;Letícia Cândida Pataca,&nbsp;Reisla Oliveira,&nbsp;Clemens Schlindwein","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01912-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01912-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In specialized plant-pollinator associations, partners may exhibit adaptive traits, which favor the maintenance of the interaction. The association between <i>Calibrachoa elegans</i> (Solanaceae) and its oligolectic bee pollinator, <i>Hexantheda missionica</i> (Colletidae), is mutualistic and forms a narrowly specialized pollination system. Flowers of <i>C. elegans</i> are pollinated exclusively by this bee species, and the bees restrict their pollen resources to this plant species. The pollen presentation schedules of <i>C. elegans</i> were evaluated at the population level to test the hypothesis that <i>H</i>. <i>missionica</i> females adjust their foraging behavior to the resource offering regime of <i>C. elegans</i> plants. For this, the number of new flowers and anthers opened per hour (as a proxy for pollen offering) was determined, and pollen advertisement was correlated with the frequency of flower visits during the day. Preferences of female bees for flowers of different stages were also investigated, and their efficiency as pollinators was evaluated. Pollen offering by <i>C. elegans</i> was found to be partitioned throughout the day through scattered flower openings. Females of <i>H. missionica</i> indeed adjusted their foraging activity to the most profitable periods of pollen availability. The females preferred new, pollen-rich flowers over old ones and gathered pollen and nectar selectively according to flower age. Such behaviors must optimize female bee foraging efficiency on flowers. Female bees set 93% of fruit after a single visit. These findings guarantee their importance as pollinators and the persistence of the specialized plant-pollinator association.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140676268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anatomical, histochemical, and developmental approaches reveal the long-term functioning of the floral nectary in Tocoyena formosa (Rubiaceae)","authors":"Juliana V. Izquierdo,&nbsp;Yve Canaveze,&nbsp;Silvia Rodrigues Machado,&nbsp;Felipe W. Amorim","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01909-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01909-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Tocoyena formosa</i> has a persistent floral nectary that continues producing nectar throughout flower and fruit development. This plant also presents an intriguing non-anthetic nectary derived from early-developing floral buds with premature abscised corolla. In this study, we characterize the structure, morphological changes, and functioning of <i>T. formosa</i> floral nectary at different developmental stages. We subdivided the nectary into four categories based on the floral and fruit development stage at which nectar production started: (i) non-anthetic nectary; (ii) anthetic nectary, which follows the regular floral development; (iii) pericarpial nectary, derived from pollinated flowers following fruit development; and (iv) post-anthetic nectary that results from non-pollinated flowers after anthesis. The nectary has a uniseriate epidermis with stomata, nectariferous parenchyma, and vascular bundles, with a predominating phloem at the periphery. The non-anthetic nectary presents immature tissues that release the exudate. The nectary progressively becomes more rigid as the flower and fruit develop. The main nectary changes during flower and fruit development comprised the thickening of the cuticle and epidermal cell walls, formation of cuticular epithelium, and an increase in the abundance of calcium oxalate crystals and phenolic cells near the vascular bundles. Projections of the outer periclinal walls toward the cuticle in the post-anthetic nectary suggest nectar reabsorption. The anatomical changes of the nectary allow it to function for an extended period throughout floral and fruit development. Hence, <i>T. formosa</i> nectary is a bivalent secretory structure that plays a crucial role in the reproductive and defensive interactions of this plant species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140673270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrocarbons in Formicidae: influence of chemical footprints on ant behavioral strategies","authors":"Poliana Galvão dos Santos,&nbsp;Elane Galvão dos Santos,&nbsp;Ingrid de Carvalho Guimarães,&nbsp;Claudia Andrea Lima Cardoso,&nbsp;Sidnei Eduardo Lima-Junior,&nbsp;William Fernando Antonialli-Junior","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01908-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01908-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>When an insect walks, it leaves chemical cues that derive from the arolium, a tarsal structure. These cues may contain important information about other species that occur in their community and can then mediate interactions of competition, predation, and information about resources with ants from their own colony. The compounds of these cues are released into the substrate in the form of chemical footprints. There are still few species studied, and little is known about the behavior of ants regarding these signals and how they use them in their interactions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the behavioral strategy of different ant species when confronted with chemical footprints left by other ants, as well as identify their compounds and their relationship with the cuticular hydrocarbon profile. The experiments were performed using a Y-maze, where in one of the arms, there were chemical footprints of their own species or of other species, and the other Y arm was footprint-free. The chemical compounds of footprints and cuticle were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results show that foragers of all species detect and respond to the presence of chemical cues in the form of footprints left by other ants. Foragers of all species followed footprints of individuals of the same species both nestmates and non-nestmates; however, <i>Neoponera villosa</i> avoided the footprints of <i>Cephalotes borgmeieri</i>, and <i>C. borgmeieri</i> avoided the footprints of the other two species. The chemical compositions of the cuticle and footprints are related to each other and are specific to each species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140609101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual dimorphism and topological variability in fingerprint ridge density in a north-west Indian population","authors":"Devi Das,&nbsp;Saumya Seal,&nbsp;Sreeparna Pal,&nbsp;Nandini Chitara,&nbsp;Rakesh Meena,&nbsp;Ankita Guleria,&nbsp;Akansha Rana,&nbsp;Ritika Verma,&nbsp;Kewal Krishan","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01911-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01911-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The science of fingerprints is very crucial in criminal investigation as it helps identify perpetrators or victims of a crime. Fingerprint ridge density (FPRD), which refers to the number of ridges within a specific area on the epidermal skin layer of the distal phalanges in humans, has been found to differ between males and females. This study attempts to estimate the sex from FPRD and evaluates the diversity in FPRD across several topological areas. The study involves 208 participants (120 males, 88 females) between the ages 18 to 25 years from a North-west Indian population. Fingerprints were collected, and FPRD was accessed in radial, ulnar, and proximal areas as recommended by Gutierrez-Redomero et al. (Forensic Sci Int 180(1):17–22, 2008). FPRD has been quantified using the techniques described by Acree (Forensic Sci Int 102(1):35–44, 1999). When evaluating FPRD in the lateral pocket loops and twin loops, the proximal-side core was considered. The study reveals that males have a mean fingerprint ridge density of 12.82 ridges/25 mm² while females have 13.01 ridges/25 mm². Females have higher fingerprint ridge density solely in the proximal area; males have higher fingerprint ridge density in both radial and ulnar areas. In conclusion, this research underscores the potential of fingerprint ridge density as a parameter for investigating population variations and individual identification. Future studies on fingerprint ridge density in India’s diverse population will help establish reference ranges, allowing for sex and likely population group estimation, making it a valuable tool for preliminary examinations and exclusion criteria for sex estimation in crime scene investigations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140614097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence for cryptic molting behavior in the trilobite Toxochasmops vormsiensis from the Upper Ordovician Katian Kõrgessaare Formation, Estonia","authors":"Russell D. C. Bicknell,&nbsp;Ernesto E. Vargas-Parra,&nbsp;Neil H. Landman,&nbsp;Helje Pärnaste","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01906-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01906-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Documentation of cryptic trilobite behavior has presented important insights into the paleoecology of this fully extinct arthropod group. One such example is the preservation of trilobites inside the remains of larger animals. To date, evidence for trilobites within cephalopods, gastropods, hyoliths, and other trilobites has been presented. Importantly, most of these interactions show trilobite molts, suggesting that trilobites used larger animals for protection during molting. To expand the record of molted trilobites within cephalopods, we present a unique case of a <i>Toxochasmops vormsiensis</i> trilobite within the body chamber of a <i>Gorbyoceras textumaraneum</i> nautiloid from the Upper Ordovician Kõrgessaare Formation of Estonia. By examining this material, we present new insights into the ecology of pterygometopid trilobites, highlighting how these forms used large cephalopods as areas to successfully molt.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00114-024-01906-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140591735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A hundred-year-old mystery—the reproductive mode and larval morphology of the enigmatic frog genus Allophryne (Amphibia; Anura; Allophrynidae)","authors":"Pedro Henrique dos Santos Dias,&nbsp;Jesse Delia,&nbsp;Carlos Taboada,&nbsp;Ronald Altig,&nbsp;Marco Rada","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01910-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01910-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Frogs of the Allophrynidae are an enigmatic family from South America. To date, published information is lacking regarding this group’s reproductive biology and larval morphology. Here, we provide the first detailed description of the reproductive mode, developmental mode, and tadpole morphology for <i>Allophryne ruthveni</i>. We developed a captive breeding and rearing protocol for this species and then conducted a series of observations to describe aspects of its reproductive biology. In captivity, this species exhibits aquatic oviposition, where single eggs are laid ungrouped within a simple jelly capsule and are scattered free in the water column before sinking to develop on benthic substrates. We did not observe parental care nor any parental interactions with eggs post-fertilization. Tadpoles are characterized by an oval body, anteroventral oral disc, a labial tooth row formula of 2(2)/3, and a dextral vent tube. The buccopharyngeal cavity is marked by the presence of two pairs of infralabial papilla and four lingual papillae. Cranial morphology is characterized by the presence of the commissura quadratoorbital. This species possesses an additional slip of the m. rectus cervicis and of the m. levator arcuum branchialium III. We discuss our results in comparison with glassfrogs (Centrolenidae).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00114-024-01910-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140591633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The protective effects of Zingiber zerumbet rhizome against fevers in rats","authors":"Haslinda Mohd Salleh,&nbsp;Abdulwali Ablat,&nbsp;Soon-Lim Chong,&nbsp;Hazrina Hazni,&nbsp;Norsita Tohar,&nbsp;Nurulwahidah Fauzi,&nbsp;Habibah A. Wahab,&nbsp;Muhamad Aqmal Othman,&nbsp;Sook Yee Liew,&nbsp;Khalijah Awang","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01907-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01907-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The <i>Zingiber zerumbet</i> rhizomes are traditionally used to treat fever, and the in vitro inhibitory effect of ethyl acetate extract from <i>Zingiber zerumbet</i> rhizomes (EAEZZR) against DENV2 NS2B/NS3 (two non-structural proteins, NS2 and NS3 of dengue virus type 2) has been reported earlier. This study was carried out to establish an acute toxicity profile and evaluate the anti-fever (anti-pyretic) activities of EAEZZR in yeast-induced fever in rats. The major compound of EAEZZR, zerumbone, was isolated using chromatographic methods including column chromatography (CC) and preparative thin-layer chromatography (PTLC). Additionally, the structure of zerumbone was elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), liquid chromatography mass spectrometer-ion trap-time of flight (LCMS-IT-TOF), infrared (IR), and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy. The toxicity of EAEZZR was evaluated using Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Test Guideline 425 (OECD tg-425) with minor modifications at concentrations EAEZZR of 2000 mg/kg, 3000 mg/kg, and 5000 mg/kg. Anti-fever effect was determined by yeast-induced fever (pyrexia) in rats. The acute toxicity study showed that EAEZZR is safe at the highest 5000 mg/kg body weight dose in Sprague Dawley rats. Rats treated with EAEZZR at doses of 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg exhibited a significant reduction in rectal temperature (<i>T</i>_<i>R</i>) in the first 1 h. EAEZZR at the lower dose of 125 mg/kg showed substantial potency against yeast-induced fever for up to 2 h compared to 0 h in controls. A significant reduction of <i>T</i>_<i>R</i> was observed in rats treated with standard drug aspirin in the third through fourth hours. Based on the present findings, ethyl acetate extract of <i>Zingiber zerumbet</i> rhizomes could be considered safe up to the dose of 5000 mg/kg, and the identification of active ingredients of <i>Zingiber zerumbet</i> rhizomes may allow their use in the treatment of fever with dengue virus infection.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140334277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of intraspecific seed trait variation on the germination of eight tropical dry forest species","authors":"Natalia Villa-Rivera,&nbsp;Jeiner Castellanos-Barliza,&nbsp;Ariadna Mondragón-Botero,&nbsp;Willinton Barranco-Pérez","doi":"10.1007/s00114-024-01898-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-024-01898-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Functional traits can have intraspecific and interspecific variations essential in the structure and dynamics of natural communities. These traits may have implications in the germination and seedling establishment phases in seeds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of variations in mass, volume, and nutrient content (C, N, and P) on the germination of eight species representative of the tropical dry forest (TDF). Our results showed that seed size, both in terms of mass and volume, did not predict germination rates or percentages, nor were they related to nutrient content. In contrast, N content was the most important trait in the germination phase. Larger seeds did not germinate more or faster, but they could offer better resistance against desiccation, since they had higher <i>C</i>/<i>N</i> ratios in their tissues, a characteristic of orthodox seeds. The species <i>A. guachapele</i>, <i>B. arborea</i>, <i>H. crepitans</i>, and <i>V. tortuosa</i> presented a high biological potential in terms of their regeneration capacity, particularly, because the characteristics of their seeds, as well as the nutrient content, revealed consistent implications in their reproductive success, promoting high germination percentages in less time. In general, the results obtained in this study provide basic knowledge for future research, offering starting points for further exploration of species-specific adaptations and how they may be affected by the environment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"111 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10959815/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140189343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}